Atherogenic diet induced diabetes mellitus: involvement of thyroid hormones.

An investigation was made to reveal the possible involvement of thyroid hormones in the progression of diabetes mellitus in response to an atherogenic diet; CCT (4% cholesterol, 1% cholic acid and 0.5% 2-thiouracil). Following the intake of CCT diet for 14 consecutive days a decrease in the serum levels of insulin, both the thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T(3)) and thyroxine (T(4)); hepatic glycogen content, hepatic type-1 iodothyronine 5'-mono-deiodinase (5'D) and serum alpha-amylase activities were observed, while there was an increase in the levels of serum glucose and nitrite and in lipid peroxidation of heart, liver and kidney tissues as well as in serum. However, simultaneous administration of L-thyroxine (500 microg/kg/day, s.c.) to CCT-diet fed animals resulted in the amelioration of all the aforesaid adverse changes including that of serum glucose, insulin, alpha-amylase, hepatic glycogen content and nitrite levels, suggesting the involvement of thyroid hormones in the progression of CCT-diet induced diabetes mellitus.